New directions in vocational rehabilitation: A "career development" perspective on "closure"

This article calls for reforms in the state-federal vocational rehabilitati on (VR) program that enable counselors to provide career development servic es to people with severe disabilities. The thesis is that current VR polici es regarding case planning and closure criteria are incompatible with the o ngoing career development needs of Americans with disabilities. Recommendat ions include evaluating client employment outcomes on qualitative criteria, expanding the minimum 90-day time frame between initial job placement and Status 26 case closure, and providing on-the-job consultation regarding pro ductivity barriers and reasonable accommodations.